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Crohn's disease
Is Crohn's disease contagious?
Crohn's disease is not contagious and its specific causes are not particularly clear. It is an inflammatory bowel disease and can be treated in the gastroenterology department. Typical symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, accompanied by fever and nutritional disorders, among others. It may also be complicated by acute perforation, rectal bleeding, intra-abdominal abscesses, and malabsorption syndrome. The course of the disease tends to be prolonged and recurrent, making it difficult to cure. The clarity and severity of the lesion, the length of the course of the disease, and the rate of recurrence after surgery are related. Because it is not contagious, it cannot be transmitted among the population.
What does Crohn's disease abdominal pain feel like?
Crohn's disease is an inflammation that occurs in the intestines, most commonly found in the terminal ileum and the right half of the colon. Due to the irritation from the inflammation, there is noticeable abdominal pain, which often presents as cramping, and sometimes as dull pain. The severity of the abdominal pain varies with the intensity of the inflammation. In addition to abdominal pain, symptoms may include diarrhea or manifestations of intestinal obstruction. Due to damage to the intestinal wall, complications such as intestinal perforation or rectal bleeding can occur, as well as fever and extraintestinal manifestations like malabsorption disorders. Crohn's disease tends to recur frequently and has a protracted course. It is not easily cured, and thus, strengthening daily care is essential.
What are the symptoms of Crohn's disease?
Crohn's disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease, primarily affecting the terminal ileum and adjacent colon, but can involve any digestive tract segment from mouth to anus, displaying either segmental or skip distribution. Clinically, it is characterized by abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal mass, fistula formation, and intestinal obstruction. It may also present with fever and extraintestinal manifestations, including joint, skin, eye, and oral mucosa damage. This disease tends to recur throughout a person’s life, and severe cases can be prolonged and unhealing with poor prognosis. The onset age is mostly between 15-30 years, but initial attacks can occur at any age. The incidence rate is similar between genders. Abdominal pain is the most common symptom, often seen in the lower right abdomen or around the navel, presenting intermittently as cramp-like pain accompanied by bowel sounds, typically worsening after eating, and relieved by defecation or passing gas. Diarrhea is another common symptom, initially intermittent but can become persistent in later stages of the disease, with stools generally being pasty and containing mucus and pus-blood. If the lower part of the colon or anorectal area is involved, there may be mucus-bloody stools and a sensation of incomplete evacuation after bowel movements. Abdominal masses are often located in the lower right abdomen and around the navel, and fistula formation is a characteristic clinical manifestation of Crohn's disease.
Common Complications of Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that commonly leads to complications such as intestinal obstruction, acute perforation, rectal bleeding, and poor absorption syndrome due to intra-abdominal abscesses. Due to inflammation, there is an increase in intestinal mucosa and narrowing of the intestinal lumen, which makes intestinal obstruction more likely. The decrease in protective barrier function of the intestinal mucosa makes it susceptible to acute perforation, which can also lead to rectal bleeding when perforated. Examinations for Crohn’s disease include colonoscopy, barium enema, CT scans, complete blood count, and intestinal absorption tests. The treatment involves a combination of medication and surgery, as the exact cause of the disease is not very clear, and it tends to have a prolonged course with recurrent flare-ups, making it difficult to cure completely.
Can people with Crohn's disease drink honey?
Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease, the exact cause of which is not very clear, and honey is safe to consume. The dietary principle generally involves eating small frequent meals, favoring low-fat, high-calorie foods. You can eat vegetables like carrots, yams, and potatoes, and should avoid raw, cold, spicy, and irritating foods such as onions, chili peppers, bean products, and leeks. The symptoms of Crohn's disease primarily include abdominal pain, diarrhea, fever, and nutritional disorders. Currently, the disease is managed with a combination of medication and surgery to actively prevent complications. However, symptoms can recur frequently, and the disease course can be prolonged. It’s important to maintain reasonable work and rest habits and avoid excessive fatigue. (Please follow the guidance of a professional physician for medication usage.)
Does Crohn's disease have a genetic component?
Crohn's disease has a certain genetic predisposition, but not all cases of Crohn's disease are inherited from one generation to the next. Current research indicates that its occurrence is related to environmental factors, immune factors, and genetic factors, with a higher incidence in males than in females. The prevalence of Crohn's disease is not particularly high in China. Symptoms are primarily abdominal pain, diarrhea, intestinal obstruction, and nutritional disorders. Some cases may also involve complications such as iridocyclitis, clubbing arthritis, oral mucosal ulcers, and chronic hepatitis. It is important to rest adequately and adjust your diet, favoring frequent light meals, low in fat and high in calories.
Can you smoke with Crohn's disease?
Patients with Crohn's disease are advised not to smoke, as smoking can cause many harms, including disturbances in intestinal blood circulation, which can exacerbate the symptoms of Crohn's disease. Typical symptoms include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and intestinal obstruction, as well as possible fever and nutritional disorders. The diet should consist of frequent small meals, low in fat and high in calories, and may include vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, and yams, while avoiding raw, spicy foods and foods that cause gas. During active phases, strict rest is recommended along with calorie supplementation and high nutritional support to actively prevent complications. Crohn's disease tends to recur frequently and can have a protracted course.
Differential Diagnosis between Intestinal Tuberculosis and Crohn's Disease
Intestinal tuberculosis often exhibits symptoms of extraintestinal tuberculosis, whereas Crohn's disease generally does not show signs of extraintestinal tuberculosis. Recurrence of intestinal tuberculosis is not common, whereas Crohn's disease has a longer duration and alternates between remission and relapse. Fistulas, abdominal abscesses, and perianal lesions are relatively rare in intestinal tuberculosis, but Crohn's disease may involve fistulas, abdominal masses, and perianal lesions. Tuberculin skin tests may be positive in patients with intestinal tuberculosis, while in Crohn's disease patients, the test may show a weakly positive result. After antituberculosis treatment, symptoms in patients with intestinal tuberculosis can significantly improve, whereas there is no significant improvement in symptoms in Crohn's disease patients following antituberculosis treatment. Furthermore, histopathological examination in patients with intestinal tuberculosis may reveal Mycobacterium tuberculosis and caseous necrosis. In contrast, Crohn's disease patients show negative results for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in pathologic testing and do not exhibit caseous necrosis.
Is a small intestine ulcer the same as Crohn's disease?
Small intestinal ulcers and Crohn's disease are different. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease of unknown cause, commonly occurring in the terminal ileum and right half of the colon. Small intestinal ulcers may be caused by intestinal inflammation and damage to the mucosa, making the ulcers easier to heal, whereas Crohn's disease tends to recur frequently and is not easily cured. Crohn's disease can also affect the joints, skin, liver, and other parts, and may be complicated by acute perforation, bloody stools, intra-abdominal abscesses, and malabsorption syndrome. It is advisable to consult a gastroenterologist and pay attention to adjusting the diet structure, eating meals regularly, and maintaining nutritional balance.
Early symptoms of Crohn's disease
Early symptoms of Crohn's disease include abdominal pain and diarrhea, abdominal masses, and may also be accompanied by fever, anemia, and digestive nutritional disorders, and can affect joints, eyes, skin, and other organs. Some patients may have iritis, clubbed finger arthritis, oral ulcers, and chronic hepatitis. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease of unknown cause, commonly occurring in the ileum and right half of the colon, with a tendency to be prolonged and recurrent, and is not easy to cure completely. Currently, treatment mainly involves medication combined with surgery to prevent complications. It is important to rest adequately and maintain a reasonable diet. (Please use medication under the guidance of a professional physician.)